brandynd

Happy surgiversary twin!!!! I am SO SO SO proud of you!!!!

Thanks ladies!! I feel phenomenal! I went from a 24, currently stalled in a size 12, but for the time being I'll take it! I know the weight will continue to fall off, but as we all know, the honeymoon period ends and you really have to work for every pound! I have so much more energy now though, and I FINALLY am beginning to feel like an after!

Hey kids! Today marks my 1 year surgiversary....I can't believe that one year ago today Dr. Rodriguez saved my life in Tijuana Mexico. For the first time, I'm happy with who I am and where I am. I still have about 20 pounds to go until I hit the point where I'm happy, but for your viewing pleasure, I thought I'd do a little photo whoring! Mmmwhuah! Before: After:

Oh honey, your reaction is perfectly normal! If you look back on old threads, I WAS you 4 months ago! It's going to be okay. You just have to take a deep breath and remember why you're doing this! As for the immediate post-op diet, you're not going to even have a desire to have anything to do with food for the first little bit. It'll go so fast that before you know it you'll be back on solids! If you need to talk feel free to PM me, even if it's just for someone to talk you down for a minute! It's perfectly normal and okay to have a few freak out moments before surgery! If you need to cry, then just cry. It'll make you feel better. It's important to be honest about the way that you're feeling about everything. Fear and anxiety are perfectly normal reactions. If you have any questions, or need someone to talk to, come visit us on the post-op diet. We're all more than happy to help you!

Msk

So...is this an NSV? I'm not really sure....so I'm going to put it here anyways. I'm down about 60 pounds from pre-op and feeling great, which in an of itself is an awesome accomplishment. I've noticed though that I'm getting a certain amount of attention from our male patrons at work and I'm not really sure I know what to do with it. Yesterday I was handling billing questions from a guest, when he asked me if he could take me out to famous dave's for lunch. I thanked him for his generosity, and told him that I already eaten. He then looked at me and said "Well I could pick you something up and keep it in my room....you could always come up for dinner later.." and then winked at me! Ummm....okay. I have another male guest who came into the office yesterday afternoon asking for change. I went in back to the safe to get it out, and he proceeded to tell my GM of all people how "I'd like to take that little girl home to momma." He spent the rest of the afternoon walking past my office and staring....he even ran into a door frame he was so busy looking! Not to mention this guy was old enough that he should be hitting on my mother...not me. WTH?!? I'm nowhere near goal yet, and I don't see much of a difference in the way that I look, and while it's nice to know that people think I'm looking better I really don't know if I'd consider this an NSV because the way that these men are looking at me makes me feel like crap. I'm so much more than the way that I look, and all the attention makes me really uncomfortable. That and how anybody could find my work attire sexy is beyond me. I'm still wearing slacks that are WAY too big (I'm a poor college student and am putting off buying a new pair as I'm dangerously close to the next size down from what I am now, and don't want to buy something that'll only fit for a short amount of time), a hideous button down shirt with the company logo, and a black sweater that really doesn't have a shape. All in all, I refer to my work attire as hobo chic (that whole, I don't really care, but I'm not so unsightly it's unprofessional thing...it's a balance, whatever). Alas, I am choosing to pay attention only to the bright side of this situation, and view this as me gaining my old confidence back, and getting my mojo going again! I'm hoping that it's the old addage "When you feel good you look good." Is that how it goes? Whatever. Has anyone else experienced an increase in unwanted attention at work? Best way to go about addressing it without coming off as a snob?

I'm glad I could be of some help! My surgical team was great, and they did give me an antibiotic (I believe it was macrozit) and a mild pain pill to help as well. I will be honest with you, I have almost no tolerance for pain meds and the pain pill still didn't do much for me, but I did have some Xanax with me (I'm a nervous flyer) and that relaxed me so the pain was REALLY mild. If you can, I would suggest going to your doctor and telling them you're having some anxiety and see if they'll prescribe you with Xanax or something similar....it's a life saver! The flights home weren't too bad at all...we flew from SAN to SLC and that flight was only about an hour...do yourself a favor though and ask for the wheelchair assist if you're flying into a large airport. You're not going to be in much of a shape to walk from gate to gate and you'll probably tire out pretty easily. Also, if you let the airline know you just had surgery at least 24 hours before your flight, they'll either upgrade you to first class (which they did for us from SAN to SLC), or give you bulkhead seats (which we got from SLC back to OMA). It'll make your flight a great deal more comfortable. Just be ready for some swelling. I fit comfortably into a seat on the way for surgery, but on the way home I had to use a seatbelt extender I was so swollen! It wasn't painful or anything, but it did bruise my ego a bit to know that I was so swollen! Yuck! If you end up choosing a surgeon in TJ and you're feeling up to it, you should ABSOLUTELY go to the outdoor shopping center! The power of the USD there is strong, and I'm still kicking myself for not picking up a new Coach purse while I was down there! Such great deals, and they have a Centro de Mexicana that sells 100% juice for what amounted to like $.17 american. You'll want to have lots of juice and bottled Water on hand! Also, let me know when you pick your surgeon! After my discharge from the hospital I was sent to a really nice hotel (they did check on me everyday while I was in Mexico), and there was all sorts of stuff within short walking distance (as well as a little taco palapa with the BEST beef broth ever...it's all I could keep down the first 24 hours after discharge) so I could keep myself occupied. I didn't want to sit in a hotel room all day and dwell on some slight abdominal pain...but that's just me! What else can I tell you about....Oh yeah....if you spend a few days in San Diego, go to Sea World for me and take pictures? The only regret I have from surgery is not going to Sea World. I wanted to see Shamoo! But in all seriousness, all of the surgeons commonly used here are great, and no matter what you choose I'm sure it'll be the right choice.

Oh you are so sweet! You'll be there in no time! I still have a ton to lose, lucky for me I'm tall and I carry it fairly well, so I look alot thinner than I really am. I'm sure you look great already!

Hey there! You're asking about advice for surgery in Mexico, and everyone on here who's gone will try to push you on their surgeon (myself included) because, let's face it, we all think our surgeon was the best. So what I'm going to do instead is give you advice from a completely objective point of view, without dropping the names of surgeons if I can help it. What helped me the most in researching the VSG in Mexico was calling the surgical groups that I was considering directly. Sure, the opinions of others can make you feel more comfortable about surgery abroad, but once you talk to the right coordinator about the right surgeon you'll just know....it's hard to explain. I will say though, don't choose anyone until you're 100% comfortable with making the decision, and accepting any of the risks and complications that can come along with the surgery. It's a huge decision, and you don't want to pick the person who will operate on you just based upon price or what you've heard from other individuals. I will give you a list of questions that I asked myself and the coordinators before making my choice, in the hopes that it'll help you out. How many surgeries has the physician performed? What is his complication rate? If something goes wrong during surgery, will I have to pay additional money to correct it? How many nights will I need to be in the hospital, and what happens once I'm discharged? What does the surgeon charge, and what all does this fee include? Is the hospital (or surgical suite) located in a safe area of town? Am I allowed to bring a companion? How long has the surgeon been performing the VSG? Do I feel comfortable putting my life in to the hands of this person, whom I've never met? (for me, this was the deciding question on which surgeon I chose.) Would I be comfortable with someone I love telling me that this was the surgeon they've chosen (alot of times I don't consider the fact that my decisions effect others, so this one was helpful as well) For me, the decision boiled down to what I found to be the most important factors when getting the surgery, which were how many times has the surgeon performed the procedure, how many leaks he had, and the fact that he had a zero fatality rate. I know that your list of priorities may vary greatly from mine, but I hope this will at least give you some questions to think about. Try not to sweat it too much, and please (even though we all are well meaning and have your best interest at heart) take our words worth a grain of salt. The decision that you make will be the right one for you. There's no wrong answer, just the surgeon that's going to be the best fit for what you're looking for! If you have questions or want someone to talk to, feel free to shoot me a PM, I'd be more than happy to provide you with stats on all three surgeons.

I'm sitting here in tears writing this....I just took a shower and was getting dressed when I decided what the hell, why not try on a pair of jeans from freshman year of college. I pulled them up thinking "there's not a snowflakes chance in hell these are going to fit." Yet, they slid up and buttoned EASILY! I'm fitting into a juniors size 13!!!!!! AHHHH!!!! Holy.shit. (can I say that on here? If not I'm sorry mods!) I think I peed myself a little! I'M NOT PLUS SIZED ANYMORE!!!!!!!!!! I may have done a stupid booty dance in front of my full length mirror...but if anybody asks me about it I'll deny deny deny . Can I just say something? I LOVE MY SLEEVE! From size 22 to 13 in just over 2 months. Not too bad for a girl who weighed over 250 D.O.S. Love you all! <3 B.

Oh look at your baby bump! How cute are you!

So....after divorcing my scale for a couple of weeks (stupid weight fluctuations drive me up the WALL!) I stepped back on it today and *gasp* my weight has dropped another 4 pounds and put me into the obese range instead of morbidly obese! Woo hoo!!! I thought I would bounce around those same 3 pounds FOREVER! I've come to the conclusion that I'm destined to be a relatively slow loser, but at this point I don't care. When was the last time I've been able to lose 40 pounds and keep it off? Umm...never! Just a little feel good information for a dreary Monday here in the midwest! Time to do my victory dance

How are my February lovelies doing? Been a while since we've all chatted on here, so I thought I'd check in and see how everyone is progressing!

I know I miss you too! Im down 34.5 pounds so far and feeling awesome! I have a waist again! Woo hoo! I will tell her you said hi, and send your mom my best!

So I had to open up the office today, and was working with my GM. We were having a good time since things were slow, and killing a few hours watching glee on our laptops and just joking around since morning paperwork was finished. I stepped outside for a cigarette (bad Brandy!) and had some clients walk up. I didn't recognize them, but apparently they knew me. The gentleman in the group dropped his jaw and said "Brandy, is that you?! Oh my god girl I didn't even recognize you, how much weight have you dropped??" It's so nice to hear that from a stranger! It's one thing to hear it from your friends and family, but to hear it from a stranger really makes it real. I think we all need to appreciate these small things. They make the whole process seem real. Anyways, that's my NSV for the day!

Woo hoo!! Did some online shopping. I found not one dress....but 5! I'm sooooooo happy! I bought two from torrid, both have ties below the bust so I can adjust them as I lose weight, bought another floral dress with a waist tie from macy's, and then a super cute a-line in pink from beyourself boutique here in town that I can put a crinoline under to do a sort of rockabilly look (I so love the 50's pinup look), and finally a sundress from coastal wear that I know will only fit for a month or so, but was so cute I couldn't refuse it! The way I see it, I can always sell them on ebay or gift them to members of the VST family when they no longer fit. I spent a grand total of $140, which for me (I'm a bit of a shopaholic) is one heck of an investment. Thanks for all of your advice ladies! It's so hard to find dresses that are fashion forward when you're between sizes like I am, but I think I'm finally clothing prepped for the warmer months. Now to begin accessory and wedge shopping...lol

Keep your head up! I too am in the dreaded "stall mode". You just have to remember why you did this, and how much better you're going to feel when the scale gets moving! Your body is just taking a minute to catch up with all of the changes. You can do this! Try to stay off the scale for a few days and spend some time doing things you enjoy. Go outside, play some mini-golf, go get a mani-pedi...just do something to get your mind off the scale! Before you know it, this will be behind you and the scale will be moving again! Let me know if you want to talk about it.

So, I have to go to DH's cousins wedding at the end of the month. I thought that I had a dress that was too small last year that I could wear. I tried to put it on, but apparently I no longer have the boobs to hold the thing up, and it can't be taken in without compromising the dress . Makes me sad, because it's a $200 dress I never got to wear. ANYWAYS....I went shopping, but there is literally NOTHING on the racks that is appealing to me within a 40 mile radius of my house. I'm still a plus size (18 right now I believe, probably a 16 by the end of the month), but everything is just so....matronly I guess. I'm only 22, and I have to find something that looks good on me. I'm getting really concerned about this wedding, and a part of me doesn't even want to go at this point. DH's family has always made me feel inferior, and some of them have made some pretty nasty comments about my ever changing weight. The goal is to look as small as possible, but I'm not finding anything to help me accomplish that. There has to be a shopaholic somewhere on this site that can point me in the right direction! I love shopping, but to be honest with you, I've never felt so lost inside of the mall in my life!

So...for the past four nights I've had very vivid dreams about hitting onederland. They're what I've come to refer to as my "fat girl wet dreams". Just wondering if anybody else has had this happen? They're really realistic, and it's getting to the point where I have this obsession with the scale dropping...lol. I've noticed they've only been happening when the scale gets stubborn and doesn't want to move for me. Idk. This is a completely random post, and I'm well aware of it. Just wanted to see if any other post-ops have that stupid scale so engrained into their heads that it's haunting their dreams in the same way it does mine. I'm ready to throw it out the window of my bathroom. So.Frustrated.

Words cannot express how happy I am for you! Congratulations, I will be praying for you and your family! May you have a healthy, uneventful (as muvh as any pregnancy can be) pregnancy!

Congrats! You will come through with flying colors! Be sure to check in when you can and let us know how you're doing.

That sounds really yummy! Do you happen to know the nutritional content? If not that's okay I'm sure I can add it up when I try it!

More doom and gloom from the anti-Mexico camp. Why am I not surprised? You suggest taking out a loan andstaying in the states, but for many taking out $15000+ is not an option (myself included). You seem to think tha because you work in law enforcement that you're privvy to all of this information, yet you have not backed any of your claims with personal experience. All you seem to be doing is regurgitating the same information people could get by turning on CNN. As for the ICE agents, did you ever stop to think they were targeted because they were in law enforcement? Just throwing that little nugget out there. Perhaps you should save your scare tactics for those who support your standpoint. People come here to reaof firsthand experience, not to listen to the rants of disgruntled law enforcement. I will go ahead and get off of my soapbox now.

I've made it through my first week post sleeve and am going strong. Started full liquids today, but boy am I sick of sweet stuff. I had about a quarter of a special k Protein drink (bad idea), and then later about 2 oz of Soup which wasn't too bad. I'm still occasionally having these weird stomach cramp like feelings, and I can feel everything when it hits my pouch....such a weird feeling! I did have my first NSV today (I have yet to buy a scale...I should get on that..) I went to get dressed and I thought, eh, what the heck? Why not try on the pair of jeans that were a bit too tight for me before surgery. They buttoned all the way with ZERO effort! Holy hooters that happened quick! granted, I'm not down a whole size yet, but I'll take it! I have also noticed (this may be TMI and for that, I'm sorry) that my stools are happening more frequently than usual (like 2-3 times a day) and they are all liquid. I know I'm on a liquid diet, but is this normal? Kinda weird. Other than that, life is returning to normal. I've been walking walking and walking some more, and the soreness subsides a little more everyday. I opted not to go back to work today because I'm just not feeling 100% just yet, but i will be back on Monday. Other than that, not too much going on, just thought I'd catch up!

Can I just say something without the risk of people jumping down my throat? People post over and over about the dangers of Mexico, but until you've gone to one of these border cities you really have no idea what you're talking about. I just returned from my surgery in TJ 3 days ago. NOT ONCE did I feel afraid or threatened in any manner, and myself and some of the other bariatric patients took a walk 5 blocks down the road to the shopping mall and spent a few hours there shopping without a guide...and surprise! I felt just as safe there as I do walking around my suburban neighborhood in the midwest. In any larger city there's going to be crime, that's just a fact of life. But that's because ALL cities have good and bad areas. It isn't like you're going down there to score drugs or get involved in a life of crime, so the odds of people coming after you are incredibly low. In fact, did anyone ever stop to think about the fact that only the bad stuff is put onto the news? I found the people of Tijuana to be wonderful and extremely helpful. If I had to make the choice again whether or not to go to Mexico, I would do it in a heartbeat. I feel like threads like this one scare people who are pre-op and make them unnecessarily nervous prior to having a rather invasive surgery. So please, if you're just basing your opinions on what "you've heard," try to put yourselves in the position of people heading across the border to get the surgery that will likely save their lives. I know I was terrified prior to crossing the border, primarily from things I heard on this forum from people who had in fact, NEVER crossed into Mexico via car, or visited a border city period. Just my two cents.